


Anything But Loud

by Dirty_Corza



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: F/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2013-05-23
Packaged: 2017-12-12 17:51:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/814307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dirty_Corza/pseuds/Dirty_Corza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The little routine Holly and Artemis share, when they get the chance, means more to either than words could explain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anything But Loud

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Random_Nexus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Random_Nexus/gifts).



> Written to be canon-complicit though The Lost Colony, though not with the books that come after.

They didn't see each other often. Holly was busy with her work with LEP, and Artemis was rebuilding an empire, only above board instead of below. Not to mention still adjusting to the time shift and the fallout associated with it.

They kept in touch, though. Small messages, sometimes a typed note, others a voice mail. Never longer than a few sentences, whatever means they used. They both knew it would cause big trouble if more than just Foaly became aware of what was going on.

When they did see each other, they still didn't say very much. They didn't need words to communicate anyways, there was nothing they could really say. The things they wanted to say, both thought the other wouldn't want to hear. But they had their own ritual, their own way of telling each other that they cared without ever saying the words.

The first time they had one of their secret meetings, Artemis brought with him an acorn, placing it firmly into Holly's palm, a flush high on his cheeks. She hadn't known what to say then, hadn't known what to give him in return other than a softly whispered “Thank you”.

The second time, though, she'd had time to prepare. When he pressed the acorn to her palm, she pressed a small gold coin into his, a light smirk on her face. When he saw what it was, he couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up inside. Gold, that was what had started all this in the first place, a little boy and his quest for gold. This time, by the time their time was up, both were sporting flushes, minds unknowingly settled in the same place of thoughts of what they'd like to do to say thank you.

Every secret meeting ended the same way, both holding back the things they wanted to say in favor of little pleasantries. Both listing the ways it would never work in the back of their minds as their handshakes grew longer until they only let go when they had to part, each clutching the other's small token as though it were more precious than diamonds. Which, if you'd asked them, they'd have sworn was true.

Butler was the first to discover what they did. Even with the privacy he allowed them, the small collection of golden coins was hard to miss when he helped Artemis take care of his room. And the quests his young charge went on to hunt for proper acorns every few months could hardly go unnoticed. He never spoke a word of it, though, failing to comment on the flush that was growing more pronounced after every meeting out of respect for Artemis.

Foaly, on the other hand, wasn't so accommodating with Holly's emotions. A quip about her raised heart rate on his monitors, casual comments on how it seemed as though she was always glowing with magic, and how odd since she never had bothered to keep herself charged before. Not to mention the small messages he'd send her whenever he discovered she had another message from Artemis, telling her that if she ever needed some spare change, he'd always be willing to help.


End file.
